4 cylinder better than V6?

Dear Honda experts:

I read in here that someone says Honda makes the best 4-cylinder and
stick with that (and manual.) So if I wanted a V6 I should not get a
Honda because Honda is not an expert building V6s?

 

The V6 engine is fine, it's the transmission (mated to the V6) that has a
questionable history.

That said, I have an '01 Accord EX-V6 with almost 230,000 and an auto and
have had zero problems with the transmission. Unscheduled maintenance over
the life of the vehicle has been under $600 thus far.

 

Honda makes a very fine V6. To avoid potential problems, get one with a
manual transmission. Like a rock.


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
01 Taffeta White Odyssey EX V6 4AT
03 Noble Green Accord LX Sedan I4 5AT
04 San Marino Red Accord EX-Navi Coupe V6 6MT

 

Honda makes a very fine V6. To avoid potential problems, get one with a
manual transmission. Like a rock.[/QUOTE]

The issue is, Honda's 4 cylinder engines are WAY powerful enough--and
the gas savings is substantial over the 6 cylinder engine.

The 6 is for people who don't understand, and/or who just want bragging
rights. Nothing more.

 

The issue is, Honda's 4 cylinder engines are WAY powerful enough--and
the gas savings is substantial over the 6 cylinder engine.

The 6 is for people who don't understand, and/or who just want bragging
rights. Nothing more.[/QUOTE]

I'm wondering if this is an issue in other parts of the country.

A couple of years ago, cops (multiple jurisdictions, including state)
busted several "tuners" in the Austin area who were buying Accords
with V6s and popping them in to Civics and then selling the rest of
the car for parts. By "buying" I mean buying from theives. You know
it's a theif if you pay $6000 for a 2005 Accord. And then sell the
engine for $4000 and the parts car for $4000.

--

- dillon I am not invalid

"Jimmy, I'm sorry your girlfriend turned out
to be a cylon."
-Special Agent Tim McGee, "NCIS"

 

The issue is, Honda's 4 cylinder engines are WAY powerful
enough--and
the gas savings is substantial over the 6 cylinder engine.

The 6 is for people who don't understand, and/or who just want
bragging
rights. Nothing more.[/QUOTE]

Or more pick up pulling out onto CA freeways with 3 people in the car
and the AC on where everyone is going 75 mph. My 6 gets 29.7 MPG on
the highway regularly, even driving at 75 mph most of the time.

 

It doesn't look like Honda offers a stick with the V6.

(As mentioned, the I4 makes 180~190HP, more oomph than you'll ever need.)

 

I drive one daily.

I don't believe Honda has a stick with the V6 in the sedan. They did
for 2 model years of the 7th gen Accord.


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
01 Taffeta White Odyssey EX V6 4AT
03 Noble Green Accord LX Sedan I4 5AT
04 San Marino Red Accord EX-Navi Coupe V6 6MT

 

The issue is, Honda's 4 cylinder engines are WAY powerful enough--and
the gas savings is substantial over the 6 cylinder engine.

The 6 is for people who don't understand, and/or who just want bragging
rights. Nothing more.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm... really? I test drove a 4-cylinder 2008 Honda Accord and then
the EX-V6, and I can sense a big difference in terms of acceleration,
going up the hills, and the 4-cylinder feels like I'm dragging it
along.

 

Hmmm... really? I test drove a 4-cylinder 2008 Honda Accord and then
the EX-V6, and I can sense a big difference in terms of acceleration,
going up the hills, and the 4-cylinder feels like I'm dragging it
along.[/QUOTE]

You probably just didn't want to rev the four banger. Hondas have
plenty of power, but people who are used to big engines AREN'T used to
revving the Honda to where the power is.

And sure there's a difference in power--but does the four banger NOT
perform perfectly well? There's enough, and then there's overkill.

 

You probably just didn't want to rev the four banger. Hondas have
plenty of power, but people who are used to big engines AREN'T used
to
revving the Honda to where the power is.

And sure there's a difference in power--but does the four banger NOT
perform perfectly well? There's enough, and then there's overkill.[/QUOTE]

I've had many 4 cyl Hondas, but my last one (04 EX), the 6 made the
difference for me. It's not overkill, it's a choice, and the mileage
is not that off from the 4 cyl.

 

You probably just didn't want to rev the four banger. Hondas have
plenty of power, but people who are used to big engines AREN'T used to
revving the Honda to where the power is.

And sure there's a difference in power--but does the four banger NOT
perform perfectly well? There's enough, and then there's overkill.[/QUOTE]

i agree with elmo on this. because my friends know me as "one of those
guys that knows about cars", i've test-driven countless cars with them
countless times, and lack of willingness to rev the engine is pretty
much universal. even among many so-called "ricer" kids. "but it's
making a loud noise", etc.

bottom line: honda 4's have /plenty/ of power, but limited low end
grunt. the 6 has that grunt and it keeps the freds happy, but the 4 is
where the fun is if you know how to drive properly.

 

If you know how to drive properly, the 6 can be fun as well...I have
no problems with pushing mechanical devices that are properly
engineered to their limits.

 

how do you know what is "properly engineered"?

 

Reputation, as far as Honda goes. With the equipment I work with, it
has to do with reviewing the equipment design specifications and
auditing their quality systems.

 

ok, my point is that with automotive stuff, unless someone is privy to
info that the car companies don't publish, or are prepared to do do
their own dissection and testing, they don't really know, they're just
projecting what they hope to be true - it's not a statement of fact.

 

They (Honda) have been successful building automobiles for many years,
and I have owned more than a few of them. Are their designs perfect?
No, probably not, considering I have 2 vehicles affected by the
transmission recall, but they made good on their design issue both by
fixing it, and then by extending the warranty. I doubt if any auto
maker has a perfect design, but I'm sure most of us are not here in
this group because we believe Honda designs and builds inferior
products, and at some point that in itself becomes the statement of
fact.
The difference with the equipment I use professionally is that I will
either design it myself, or thoroughly review the vendors design
specification and BOM before I purchase it.

 

The six engine is fine, and let's asssume the tranny is fine, too,
it's just that it seems overkill.

Once in a blue moon I wish my four was a six - when I try to pull into
the fast lane, going up a hill, with a couple of passengers, and some
moron is closing from behind a lot faster than I thought he was going.
Then even the four properly reved into the vtech cam is just not
enough.

Though if they could peel 500 pounds off the frames of these things,
the four would be even more ideal.

J.

ps - also when the tranny gets sticky and doesn't downshift like it
should, you wonder if a bigger engine wouldn't be in order.

 

and the VTEC growl isn't a warning signal of anything other than "fun's
a comin'".

 

Reputation, as far as Honda goes.[/QUOTE]

Yeah. Like the transmissions they put on their 6 cylinder engines, all
the way from the 1998 model year through the 2004 model year.

Those were a beancounter's dream, and a reputation-killer. Honda spent
SIX YEARS with TWO ITERATIONS of that transmission, BOTH of them junk,
foisting that crap onto the world, riding on their previously
hard-earned reputation.

SIX YEARS. I can only imagine that some executive that had experience
on the Ford Pinto team was busy telling them, "don't worry that each
dealership is replacing four to six of these things a week--we've done
the math, and it's cheaper for us that way, so let's keep making the
junk and pushing it out the door".

In my mind, Honda is STILL earning its reputation back. Not that I
won't buy one, but my eyes are WIDE open.